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SportMed InTraining: The Meal Habit

SunRun Training Week 5: The Meal Habit

Are your mealtimes pleasant and enjoyable? Do you have regular meals or do you sometimes miss meals? Do you sit down at the table to eat or do you eat on the go? Do you eat with your family or companion or is the TV your dinner date? Believe it or not, these aspects of mealtime structure are strong predictors of good nutrition and a healthy weight. 

Admittedly, preparing regular meals is a lot of work: Buying groceries, stocking the fridge, planning meals, cooking food that you and your family enjoy, and to orchestrate our meals around our schedules.  It’s a labour of love. I think we have to love ourselves and the food to go through all the effort!

Sometimes nutrition messages create too many rules about what we should and should not eat - Must be organic, must be cooked from scratch, must not have fat, must have omega 3, must be low in salt, must not have sugar or gluten, must not have preservatives, etc. We can become overwhelmed by the “food police” rules, so we give up on making meals altogether. The truth is that all foods can fit in your diet in a way that nourishes you. 

If you do not sit down to regular meals, start there. Creating regular meals that happen around the same time every day and including foods that you enjoy is the first step towards healthy eating. If we make our meals a priority, our nutrition will improve as a result. Don’t let a busy schedule prevent you from sitting down to nourishing meals.

  • Have breakfast, lunch and dinner at regular times each day.
  • Plan at least 2 snacks each day.
  • Eat at a table with your family or companion.
  • Unplug the TV, cell phones and computers.
  • Connect with your family or companion.
  • Enjoy your food.

Free Online Webinar: Food as Your Fuel

SportMed InTraining Webinar: Food as Your Fuel for Training

Sun Run In Training WebinarListen to my free online webinar on how to fuel yourself for training. Tips on what to eat before runs and how to eat if you want to shed a few pounds. Lots of tips and tricks to get the most from the food you eat: 
- What makes a meal balanced? 
- How to choose the best foods to fuel your body? 
- Secrets of meal and snack timing for training. 
- Tips to avoid discomforts of running.

Listen to the full webinar here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8uBD6wZZG8

 

 

 

SportMed InTraining: Overcoming Emotional Eating

Sun Run Training Week 4: Overcoming Emotional Eating

van sun tomato picDo you enjoy food and eating in a balanced way? Or do you have strong cravings for certain foods when you are upset, stressed or depressed? We may comfort ourselves with emotional eating when we don’t want to face uncomfortable feelings like anger, anxiety or sadness. This is a common pattern that many of us learned in our youth when we didn’t know how to handle these tough emotions. 

Emotional eating does bring comfort and relief to our difficult feelings, so it actually does make us feel better temporarily. However, the relief is short lived and soon we feel guilty for overeating and often beat ourselves up for having lost our self-control. We pledge to start a new diet tomorrow and restrict “forbidden” foods. This strict diet makes us feel deprived and this inevitably results in cravings and overeating at our next vulnerable moment of stress. 

To overcome emotional eating, try these strategies to stop this vicious cycle:

  • Identify your triggers: Are you feeling tired, bored, sad, stress, anxiety or anger?
  • Soothe your emotions without food: Talk to a friend, go for a run/walk, play an instrument, do something creative like art or sewing, do a puzzle, coloring, do a chore or take a bath, read a book, meditate or listen to music. Engage your senses. Keep your hands busy. 
  • If you have a craving for a “forbidden food,” make a decision to enjoy it without guilt. You will feel satisfied and will be less likely to binge.
  • If you do binge, it is important to give yourself compassion and acknowledge that you are stressed. Life is difficult and you need more self-care. Do not beat yourself up.
  • Do not start a diet by restricting foods. Instead, try to create regular meals and snacks. Choose foods that you enjoy and nourish you. 

Vancouver Sun Article: How do you eat?

Week 3 SunRun InTraining: Mindful Eating

In this week's Vancouver Sun, I explain why it matters more how we eat, than what we eat.  Read on to learn how to change our mindless eating habits into mindful eating.  

Many of us have developed “distracted” eating habits.  We eat on the go, in the car, at our desk and in front of the television. We are often surrounded by food and can make up to 200 food decisions every day.


This type of mindless eating distracts our attention from tasting the food, making us unaware of how much we eat and usually makes us eat more.

Mindful eating is a completely different approach to eating that can improve destructive eating habits, assist with keeping a healthy weight and help with a nourishing relationship with food. It teaches us to eat using all of our senses and to savour our food. It directs our attention to our physical hunger and satiety and pleasure cues so we can use our body signals to guide our food choices without rules or guilt.

We can use mindful eating to choose foods that we enjoy and are both nourishing and physically satisfying.

What does this mean? Yes, you can enjoy your cake without guilt. Chew slowly and pause between bites. Taste the flavours and put your fork down. How are you feeling? Notice when you feel comfortably full, stopping before you become stuffed.

Try these tips to practice mindful eating at home:

• Be fully present: Sit down. Turn off the TV and computer. Put your phone away.

• Pay attention to how your body feels: Are you hungry? Are you tired or fatigued?

• Notice your thoughts and feelings: Are you feeling sad or stressed?

• Taste the food with all your senses: Savour the texture, aroma and flavour of the food.

• What does this food make me feel? Pleasure? Bloated? Disappointment?

• Gratitude: Appreciate and enjoy your food.

Vancouver Sun Article: How Much Should We Eat?

Sun Run Training Week 2: Intuitive Eating

In today's Vancouver Sun article, I write about not letting a diet tell you how much to eat. Intuitive eaters know how to eat the right amount every day and everyone can practice Intuitive Eating. Here is an excerpt:

"Babies intuitively know exactly how much to eat. When given unlimited access to food, babies and young children will eat exactly the right amount for their bodies.

As we grow up, many of us learn somewhere along the way to eat for reasons that ignore our appetite and physical cues.

We have learned that food can comfort hurt feelings: “Here, eat some and you will feel better.” A well-meaning mother showed her love through food and we stuffed our bellies with food and love simultaneously.

Parents who grew up in tough times, taught us to feel shame about wasting food with three simple words, “finish your plate.” Others rewarded our accomplishments with food, “here, have some cake, you earned it!”

Now, we are so far removed from our hunger cues that we may turn to a diet to tell us how much to eat. We were not taught to check in with our bodies or to listen to our physical cues. We once knew to eat when we were hungry and to stop when we were full.

We can relearn how to eat intuitively as we once did. Ask yourself what is your tummy telling you? Are you hungry or full? Listen to your appetite, respond to your hunger and trust your body...."

Read the full article here:

http://vancouversun.com/uncategorized/sun-run/sun-run-nutrition-how-much-should-we-eat

Vancouver Sun Article: Why Diets Don't Work

SunRun Training Week 1: Why Diets Don't Work

‘Tis the season for fad diets and cleanses.  Most of us have learned the hard way that diets don’t work.  A recent study published in the journal of Obesity by Kevin Hall, explains the physiology behind this frustrating experience.  So, before you “jumpstart” your New Year with the latest fad diet, you may want to understand why your body will always try to make you regain weight after a diet.   

This study monitored contestants from “The Biggest Loser” reality TV show, for six years after the show ended.  The 14 participants had each lost about 130lbs on the show and six years later, most of them had regained almost all the weight back.  They all endured hours of gruelling daily workouts to ensure they maintained their muscle mass.  Yet, their bodies responded to the strict diet by lowering their metabolisms by 600 Calories per day.  The researchers were shocked to discover that the participants’ metabolisms continued to remain suppressed six years later, despite keeping the same exercise regime. 

This study demonstrates one important fact: weight loss diets lower your metabolism, sometimes permanently.  A slower metabolism means that you burn fewer Calories and will gain weight easily when you return to your usual eating habits.  Dieting also triggers powerful food cravings and binge eating. 

So, if you are thinking about starting a diet and you are not prepared to follow it for the rest of your life, the temporary weight loss will soon return.  Rather than turning to diets that restrict certain foods, we should be thinking of eating and exercise as a lifestyle change that we can live with long term.  Try moderate changes that fit with your life.  Eat regular meals, enjoy a variety of foods and listen to your appetite.

Train Like a Canuck, Eat Like a Canuck

Cristina Sutter talks about Recovery Nutrition at Canucks Development Camp

Here is a behind the scenes sneak peak of the Vancouver Canucks development camp where I talk to players about what to eat after training.

City's Breakfast Television: What Do Olympic Athletes Eat?

Cristina Sutter is on City's Breakfast Television: Eat Like an Olympian!

What and how much does an Olympian eat?  In this morning's City Breakfast Television show, I show what a plate for an Olympian would look like, explain why it is different for each sport and what we can apply to our own eating habits.  Click here to watch the video.

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Vancouver Sun Article: What to Eat Before the Big Race

SUN RUN TRAINING WEEK 13: What to Eat and What Not to Eat, Before the Sun Run

In today's Vancouver Sun article, I talk about what to eat and what not to eat the day and morning before the Sun Run. With just 6 days left before the big race, check these eating tips and best food choices to help you feel and run your best on the big day.  Here is an excerpt:

"...You may recall from week 9 to stay away from anything loaded with fat or fibre on the day before a run. That means no fettuccine alfredo, muffins, big salads or fries on Saturday. Keep hydrated by sipping on two to three litres of water throughout the day and stay away from alcohol on both Friday and Saturday.

Here is a sample meal plan for a middle-aged female for the day before the race. If you are young, active or male, you will need to add an extra chicken wrap and fruit smoothie to this meal plan.

Saturday sample meal plan:

7 am:   2 eggs, whole wheat tortilla, salsa
10 am: 1 fruit, 10 almonds
12 pm: Tuna sandwich with baby carrots
3 pm:   1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup fruit
6 pm:   1 cup brown rice, 1 chicken breast, steamed vegetables
9 pm:   Sprouted grain toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter

On Sunday morning,..." Click here to read the full article...



 

Vancouver Sun Article: Overcoming Emotional Eating

SUN RUN TRAINING WEEK 12: Reviewing our Relationship with Food

emotional eatingtOvercoming emotional eating is the topic of my article in today's Vancouver Sun paper Here is an excerpt:

"As I watched my children enjoy their Easter chocolates with delight and guilt-free bliss, I reflected that we are all born knowing when we are hungry, when we are full and we ate until we were satisfied. As we grew up, we were told to eat our vegetables because they help us grow and not to eat cookies because they are bad for us. We may have been offered ice cream to cheer us up on a sad day. Our parents may have asked us to finish our plate, so as not to waste food. If we felt pressure to be thinner, we may have felt guilty eating our favorite treats.

All of these things distort our relationship with food and cloud our innate ability to eat until satisfied. Eventually, we may eat because we are supposed to, or we may overeat to please someone or to cope with loneliness or stress. We start to think of food as ‘good for you’ and ‘bad for you’ and we may feel guilty about enjoying our favorite foods. If we deprive ourselves of our favorite treats, we may feel overwhelmed with guilt when our willpower cracks.

Ask yourself a few questions before deciding whether to eat: 
- Am I Hungry?
- Do I want that? 
- Am I sad or upset and do I really just need to talk and de-stress? How will I feel after I eat it?

The answers are simple: 
- Eat if you are hungry, stop if you are full. 
- If you are craving a specific treat, check your emotions first. 
- Look after your stress and emotions without food.

If your craving persists, allow yourself to enjoy a treat, and don’t feel guilty. You are better off eating the treat or you may end up overeating a pile of other foods that just don’t satisfy the craving."

Vancouver Sun Article: Is Dairy Good or Bad?

Sun Run Training Week 11: Clarifying the Benefits of Dairy

milkDairy has got a pretty bad rap lately.  There is a lot of controversy about whether we should be consuming dairy products. Admittedly, dairy isn't for everyone and it may exasperate certain conditions in some dairy sensitive people who suffer from migraines, tonsilloliths, constipation, eczema or lactose intolerance.  Also, we all know that cows produce methane and too many cows is not good for our environment.  Having said that, dairy still represents a very nutritious food group that promotes healthy growth and development in children and youth and has been shown to be an excellent recovery food post exercise to replenish our fuel stores and rebuild muscles.  In this week's Vancouver Sun article, I speak about some of the benefits of dairy.  Most things in life are not all good or all bad and have shades of gray. Read full article here.
 

Vancouver Sun Article: 2016 is the International Year of Pulses.

SUNRUN TRAINING WEEK 10: Are beans, chickpeas and lentils a superfood?

muffinsIn this week's Vancouver Sun article, I highlight the health benefits of pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils) which may be considered a superfood. The United Nations declared 2016 the Year of the Pulses to promote sustainable food production amidst environmental concerns like water, land and carbon waste. I share a delicious post run recovery muffin recipe from lentils.ca, read the full article here.

 

Vancouver Sun article: Tips to Avoid the Discomforts of Running

SunRun Training Week 9: Guidelines for a Happy Gut while Running

Discomforts of running include aches and pains of stitch and bathroom stops.In this week's Vancouver Sun article, I give readers tips to ensure a happy gut while running. SunRun training now well underway, you may have experienced the aches and pains of a stitch or the discomforts of having to make an urgent bathroom stop along your jog. These can be avoided by having the right foods at the right time and avoiding certain foods and drinks before your run.

The guidelines in this article should keep you running at your best. If you are prone to urgent bathroom stops, avoid your triggers and eat only low-fibre, low-fat and low-sugar foods before a run. Avoid caffeine, high-sugar products (soda and sport gels) and high-fibre foods (green vegetables, beans, bran, berries) beginning five hours before a run.  

If you are running longer distances and taking sport gels during your runs, talk to a sport dietitian for more specific advice on how to avoid stomach cramps.  

Click here to read the full Vancouver Sun article

 

Vancouver Sun article: Does the Paleo Diet Really Work?

SunRun Training Week 8: A Critical Look at the Paleo Diet

healthy-chick-peasMy article in Monday's Vancouver Sun is all about the Paleo diet. As diets go, it is effective and is relatively healthy but drops the ball by excluding some key foods. The Paleo diet result in faster weight loss than other diets, but a lot of the lost weight is muscle loss.

When diets cut out carbs, our bodies start to break down our own muscles for fuel. Healthy carbs like fruits, legumes, whole grains and dairy are great recovery foods after exercise.

Click here to read the rest of this week's article.

 

 

 

Cristina featured in two articles in today's Vancouver Sun!

Five Foods to Cut Cravings

In addition to this week's Vancouver Sun Run article, I've been featured in a full page article in today's paper. Check out today`s Vancouver Sun for tips on what foods to avoid to cut cravings and shed pounds.

Here's a teaser:

"What do you look for in a nutrition facts label?

"So you’ve increased your running time, you’re feeling great, with more energy, but those few extra pounds you’d hoped would melt away are sticking around. The reason may be diet.

"But it can be difficult to stick to a healthy diet plan when all day you are dreaming of doughnuts..."

Click here to keep reading!

Latest News

  • Now Offering Online Sport Nutrition Courses and Resources!

    Cristina is now offering Elite Dietitians, a virtual library of Online Sport Nutrition Courses for young athletes, sports clubs and teams including soccer, hockey and swimming! 

    Each course has short videos that are easy to follow with key messages for young audiences.  Her courses are focused on everyday foods and practical suggestions to fuel young athletes for training and performance.  

    If your young athlete is open to learning from an expert in a casual way, check out her courses here: elitedietitians.thinkific.com.

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    Included are free downloads including:

    • Sport Nutrition Summary
    • Sport Nutrition Tips and Checklist
    • Quiz
    • Goal setting worksheet
    • Recovery snack ideas
    • Lunch ideas
    • Meal plans for practices and games

Book an Appointment with Cristina today

 

Want to book an appointment with Cristina immediately? Call 604-987-4060 during business hours. 8AM - 6PM, Monday - Friday or book online today:

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Questions before getting started? Please feel free to use the form below to get in contact with Cristina for any questions you may have, or to schedule your next individual or group consultation or writing project.